Dial-a-bed: Turning Pages Before Pillow Time

Sleep is essential for health, yet many of us have difficulty winding down at night and end up tossing and turning all night. Reading before bed might seem old-fashioned, but research suggests this simple practice offers measurable benefits for sleep health. Thanks to a combination of physiological and psychological factors, bedtime reading creates the perfect conditions for a good night’s rest.

But why does something as simple as turning pages improve our sleep? Firstly, reading serves as a stress reduction technique. Some research suggests that reading reduces stress levels more effectively than listening to music, having a cup of tea, taking a walk, or playing video games. A recent study also indicates that reading specifically helps to relieve work stress. Stress reduction is crucial because we know that stress wreaks havoc on our sleep. Multiple studies have observed higher levels of cortisol (a hormone involved in our stress response pathway) in people with insomnia compared to good sleepers. So, trying to minimise stress levels is a must.

Despite the proven benefits of good sleep hygiene, many people struggle to establish effective bedtime routines. Instead of defaulting to doomscrolling or the 7th episode of that series, set up your bedtime routine to include activities that signal to our bodies that it’s time to prepare for sleep. Bedtime reading is the perfect addition to your pre-sleep routine by providing a screen-free wind-down period. Reading a physical book, rather than staring at a screen, allows our bodies to start to produce melatonin, a hormone that we naturally produce at night that signals that it’s time to sleep. The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, televisions and even some e-Readers inhibits and delays melatonin production, so reading a book is a better choice to help us transition toward bed without the sleep-disrupting effects of electronic screens.

Another recent study provides evidence that reading a book in bed before going to sleep improved sleep quality compared to not reading at all. It seems that positive emotions induced by reading at bedtime are sleep-promoting factors that improve both the time it takes to fall asleep and overall sleep duration in both young and older adults. This means bedtime reading works on multiple levels – it reduces stress hormones, provides an alternative to screentime before bed, and simultaneously can generate positive emotions that actively encourage better sleep.

Good nighttime sleep starts with what we do in the hours before bed. To maximize the sleep benefits of reading, there are some smart choices you can make to give yourself the best chance of quality rest. Many of us have experienced the feeling of a gripping book where you just have to know what happens next. Before you know it, it’s 1am and your alarm is going off in a couple of hours. This is not exactly conducive to a good sleep routine. If this is you, it might be worth having a separate book you read right before bed that is less all-consuming – and maybe avoiding thrillers or emotionally intense content that might elevate your heart rate rather than promoting relaxation.

Consistency is also crucial for training your body’s internal sleep signals. A good bedtime routine can be a useful tool for getting longer and higher-quality sleep because your body begins to anticipate sleep. By establishing a regular practice of reading before bed, you’re teaching your body and mind that when you open your book it’s time to prepare for sleep.

Significant Stress Reduction: Reading reduces stress levels by 68% in just 6 minutes, more effectively than other common relaxation activities.

• Screen-Free Transition: Unlike electronic devices, physical books provide evening entertainment without sleep-disrupting blue light exposure.
• Positive Emotion Generation: Bedtime reading creates positive emotional states that actively promote faster sleep onset and longer sleep duration.
• Routine Establishment: Regular reading creates consistent pre-sleep signals that train your body’s natural sleep preparation processes.

We need to set ourselves up for good quality sleep. The simple act of reading before bed isn’t just enjoyable, it’s a scientifically-backed method for optimizing your sleep health. If you are struggling to sleep and your bedtime routine isn’t cutting it, visit www.sleepscience.co.za or email us at info@sleepscience.co.za

Create your very own sleep sanctuary at home with Dial-a-bed.